Swiss rider Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Manufacturing facility Racing) soloed to victory within the elite ladies’s race on day 1 of the North Carolina Grand Prix on Saturday. It marked her first look on the occasion since 2022, when she additionally received the opening day of racing. Within the males’s elite contest, Kerry Werner (Velo Mafia Racing p/b Bikeflights), who not too long ago introduced he’ll retire on the finish of the season, powered away from his opponents on the ultimate lap to say his twelfth NCGP victory in Hendersonville, N.C.
After grabbing the holeshot, Pan-American champion Lizzy Gunsalus (Marian College), together with Jolanda Neff and Lauren Zoerner (Aggressive Edge Racing), opened a spot on the remainder of the sector heading into the obstacles on the primary lap. A chase duo of Ella Brenneman (CXD Trek Bikes) and Amelia Shea (Suggestions Sports activities) fashioned behind the sturdy trio.
The group of three stayed collectively till 4 laps to go, with Gunsalus and Neff gaining time over Zoerner on an off-camber on the far aspect of the course. With three laps to go, Neff started to push the tempo, slowly constructing a spot over Gunsalus that held till the tip.
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Neff celebrated her first victory of the cyclocross season, crossing the road 39 seconds forward of Gunsalus, who took second. Zoerner rounded out the day one podium in third.
The NCGP course featured huge open straightaways into technical flip sequences, off-camber sections, a Belgian stair run-up, The Wall, and paved straightaways.
After a busy begin, the elite males’s subject cut up by the tip of the primary lap with seven riders, together with Werner, Tom Scott (Marian College), newly topped Canadian champion Tyler Clark (Caledon Hills Armada), Tyler Orschel (Pan American Union Racing), Tofik Bashir (CXD Trek Bikes), Jules Van Kempen (Group Winston Salem), and Nate Gervez (Roanoke School), pulling away.
Clark, Werner, and Bashir took management of the entrance group, pushing the tempo to slowly splinter and draw back, leaving Van Kempen chasing in fourth place. A mid-race mechanical ended Orschel’s race for the day. Clark, Werner, and Bashir maintained their lead regardless of Van Kempen’s pursuit, buying and selling locations all through the race.
With one lap remaining, Bashir surged previous Werner, leaving Clark shut behind and nonetheless inside attain. Clark continued to chase simply seconds again. Werner regained the lead heading into the obstacles, the place his means to hop them gave him a slight benefit over Bashir. A small mistake by Bashir on a couple of of the ultimate technical turns opened the door for Werner, who capitalised and carved out a spot heading into “The Wall” for the final time
Werner held the result in declare the victory, his first of the season. Clark fought again to overhaul Bashir, resulting in a tough chase out of the ultimate flip onto the paved end straight, with Clark ending second and Bashir in third.
The NCGP, the longest-running elite-level biking occasion in North Carolina, celebrating 20 years in 2025, is the ultimate cease on the USA Biking Cyclocross Nationwide Collection calendar. Day two of racing resumes on Sunday.
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